Zac Efron opens up about 'shocking' change to appearance amid claims he's 'unrecognizable' what

Another day, another celebrity transformation! The latest is Zac Efron, who underwent a "shocking" physical transformation for his latest movie, The Iron Claw.

The Sean Durkin-directed film tells the real life story of the Von Erich brothers, who broke into professional wrestling in the 1980s. The High School Musical alum stars as Kevin Von Erich, opposite The Bear star Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich, Harris Dickinson (Triangle of Sadness) as David Von Erich, and newcomer Stanley Simmons as Mike Von Erich.

Though his transformation for The Iron Claw is the center of attention now, it's not the first time his appearance is put under the spotlight, with many fans claiming he looks unrecognizable from his Disney Channel days. So what has he said about it?

What happened to Zac Efron's face?

Back in 2022, Zac was swerving plastic surgery accusations left and right after fans claimed they saw a noticeable difference in the size of his jaw.

"My mom told me. I don't really read the internet, so, I don’t really give a [expletive]," he joked to Entertainment Tonight of the rumors last year, before clarifying that the change to his appearance wasn't plastic surgery, but rather the result of an injury ten years ago.

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In 2013, a slip outside of his home left him with a shattered jaw, and he had to have his mouth wired shut. He began regular physical therapy to rehabilitate his jaw, and in an interview with Vanity Fair last year, he explained: "The masseters just grew," adding: "They just got really, really big."

What did Zac Efron say about his appearance transformation?

During the premiere for The Iron Claw last week, Zac opened up about taking on the portrayal of Kevin Von Erich – who was also in attendance – and the physical transformation it entailed. He told ET: "This movie's a true story, and that man, Kevin Von Erich right there, he really motivated me to get in shape for this movie," adding: "The physicality he brought to the ring every single day was really unique. It changed wrestling."

He went on: "I knew that was going to be the hardest [thing] for me to master and get right. So, I put everything I had into it," and confessed: "It was shocking at every point of the transformation."

MORE: Zac Efron addresses plastic surgery rumors in candid interview

Zac also recalled: "I remember Harris [Dickinson] and I were walking out of hair and make-up and it was like the first time we had to wear the full kit, and we were both thinking, 'What the hell are we doing here, man? How did we get into this?'"

Is The Iron Claw based on a true story?

Yes, the highly-anticipated A24 film, which is set to release December 22, tells the real life story of the Von Erich brothers – who are originally from Texas – and their venture into professional wrestling in the early 1980s, led by their domineering father and coach Fritz Von Erich, who is played by Mindhunter star Holt McCallany.

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